Pittsburgh City Paper: Stylistic variety was on tap for Point Park University’s Contemporary Dance Company’s annual Contemporary Choreographers program. The Nov. 12 matinee kicked off with Israeli-born choreographer Ori Flomin’s new work “The Way Out.”
2 comments:
I think this concept that Point Park is doing is very cool and important, because by inviting Contemporary Choreographers in you greatly enhance the probability of your performance reflecting the world we’re in. I think that reflection is imperative to keeping dance, or live performance alive. To some it would seem that there are only so many ways a dancer can move their body, only so many times you can see the nutcracker, and past that point is when they stop attending shows. To keep non theatre lovers engaged, which is a necessity to pay bills, we have to have a dynamic story, stories people can identify with and see in a theatrical way. Art that reflects life is the most interesting. To me, dance is the most expressive art form, one that is most accessible, most universally understood, and therefore it should be utilized to tell the stories of today.
I always have enjoyed watching showcases featuring works by a range of choreographers for the ability to compare the pieces in quick succession due to the proximal juxtaposition of pieces. Furthermore, showcases like this one provide a wide overview of dance as it stands today, and allows for a quick understanding of popular trends in actual dance movements, choreography, and conceptualization.
It sounds as though this was a relatively safe series of pieces. The premises had the potential to develop into something bold, but seemed to repeatedly fall short of executing that pent up promise. It seemed like there was an overall striving to explore and execute new kinds of physicality, with a collective eye to tempo. But what I find most interesting is the reference to the "muscularity" of the pas de deux. Muscularity - and anything that is not lean or agilely pliant - has never truly been celebrated in most dance forms. I am glad that perspectives on this are changing.
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